America Condemns Israel's Planned Settlements

Announcement seen as retaliation for UN vote to accept Palestine

Hillary Clinton yesterday attacked Israel's announcement of new settlement plans in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

"Let me reiterate that this administration, like previous administrations, has been very clear with Israel that these activities set back the cause of a negotiated peace," said Clinton. Her statements were an unusually blunt US condemnation of Israeli settlement-building.

One of the announced developments, E1, has long been condemned by the US. It would build settlements dividing the West Bank cities of Ramallah and Bethlehem from Jerusalem. The project would prevent the establishment of a viable Palestinian state, the NYTimes reports. In addition, Israel announced they'd build 3000 new housing units in East Jerusalem.

Israel's announcement is widely seen as retaliation for Palestine's successful bid to become a non-member observer at the UN.

Israel's actions were earlier branded "counterproductive" by the White House and drew searing criticism from Europe. "If Israel confirms these decisions officially, then it is an exercise in the most cynical, self-obsessed and self destructive policy-making imaginable," one European diplomat told the Guardian.

Via the Guardian and the New York Times.

Do you think the US was right to condemn the settlements?

[Romney2012]

The more I look at Hillary, the more masculine she looks! Is she on hormones?

[woodtick57]

that's called traveling the globe 24/7 in service of your country. Not an easy job.

[Romney2012]

Oh yah, I forgot what traveling the globe 24/7 can do to a woman, riding camels in the hot sun, sledding with dogs in the ice cold winter, rowing her way across the oceans, no wonder she doesn't look so great!

[Ashstop]

She does have a look to her don't she? I think it's a look she wants, you know , like a man

[Dan_Tien]

She admits to being 65 years old. That might have something to do with the fact that she doesn't look like a college co-ed.

[FFX_VA]

@woodtick57 I thought it was from being married to Bill, that'd age anyone!:)

[bsking]

clinton and obama both have zero foriegn affairs cred. they should stick to what they know...lying to the american people and vacationing at our expense...

[woodtick57]

They may actually go down as one of the most effective foreign relations administration we've had.

[bsking]

@woodtick57 maybe so but that's because the left is writing the text books not because of actual merit and achievement

[bsking]

@woodtick57 kind of like they keep on trying to resurrect Jimmy Carter's legacy as something positive instead of 4 years of misery indexes

[woodtick57]

@bsking

no. More like they have effective foreign policy.

[bsking]

@woodtick57 if you mean affective I agree but not effective.

I think people in Egypt would argue with you... I think the people in Iran would argue with you... I think the people in Libya would argue with you.

hell , I think the people in Arizona would argue with you..
even Mexican people would argue with you.

but I suppose you're entitled to your own version of reality.

[MBernard]

"Their feet are swift to shed blood, and the way of peace they have not known." If this won't help any peace process, why do it???

[bsking]

its not entirely israel's responsibility to further the process alone. while hamas continues to attack. the palastinians are never going to be honest partners, they are anti-semetic haters of the west(you and me) and the jews sworn enemy. alwats will be. remember how they danced while manhatten burned? wake up!

[MBernard]

@bsking I understand that but still that doesn't help. If they bomb Israel, I'd suggest Israel bomb them too but taking over territory that will fuel the problem isn't much help.

[Denizen_Kate]

@bsking - The issue here isn't bombs, but settlements. No sooner was Palestine granted a provisional UN membership, then Israel announces plans to place Israeli citizens within what the UN currently recognizes as Palestinian territory. It's deliberately provocative on Israel's part, which is why Clinton is condemming it.

[bsking]

@Denizen_Kate what the UN recognizes? doesn't matter what the UN recognizes.

[Denizen_Kate]

@bsking - it doesn't matter to YOU.

[Jack-Black]

It is obvious that the Barry adminisration is the most anti Israel administration since the Peanut boy's. Israel should tell Barry and Mr. Clinton to stick it.

[woodtick57]

how is that obvious? by his continuing the long history of the US standing behind Israel?

[Jack-Black]

@woodtick57 if you think Barry is "standing behind Israel" then I feel bad for anyone of your friends that need you to cover them.

[woodtick57]

@Jack-Black

Again, how as Obama strayed from the US's long history of standing behind Israel?

[DARSB]

Flatly incorrect.

According to Foreign Policy, "The Obama administration has increased security assistance to Israel every single year since the president took office, providing nearly $10 billion in aid -- covering roughly a fifth of Israel's defense budget -- over the past three years. To put this in perspective, this is about 20 percent higher than the remaining six dozen recipients of U.S. FMF combined."

[Dan_Tien]

@DARSB If that doesn't prove that Obama is not a Muslim then I doubt anything will. You would think that since Muslims are required to kneel and bow toward Mecca 5 times a day that someone could have snapped a quick photo of President Obama assuming the position by now if he really was a practicing Muslim.

[sabbatical]

Israel Condones America's Planned Mexican Settlements In Gaza Strip

[stepped_in_it]

Our rights are what? Condemn....no. Withdraw support if Israel continues with such actions....yes. Don't think Israel will care either way....and we (America) needs to STOP trying to police the world and start trying to fix our own problems!

[Thunderchicken]

The way I see it, Israel took that land through a defensive war. (Yes the Six Day War was fought in defense of Israel.) Under the Rights of Conquest, it is their land to do with as they please. My personal opinion is that the settlements are a mistake. But it is Israel's mistake to make.

[Nickthefiddler]

Ah Thunderchicken still peddling the same ol' Zionist guff eh?

[commonsense51]

Hillary and Obama's coddling of Palestine is pathetic. If we were being bombed by another nation, we would go to war and defeat that nation, PERIOD! These mealy mouth Democrats think Israel should just take the killing of it's citizens, and then watch as the most corrupt hypocrite entity (the UN) votes to make this terrorist nation a member. Can any of you Democrats ever understand life? You don't buckle under to evil and pay ransom to their bombings. Israel has shown the greatest patience with Palestine over the years. We would never have put up with what they have had to endure. Democrats, what can I say, again you are hypocrites.

[DARSB]

"If we were being bombed by another nation, we would go to war and defeat that nation..."

Palestine isn't a nation, though. Instead it's a huge prison camp with nearly two million inmates who live under a military occupation and blockade imposed by an Israeli Defense Force subsidized by the USA.

[Fishbone345]

@DARSB I'm sure someone with the name "commonsense" knows that...
Right?

[commonsense51]

@DARSB Oh, so the UN accepts prison camps as members?

[commonsense51]

@DARSB Oh, so a prison camp gets to do what in the UN now? Spare me your condescending crap. You as usual miss the entire point of my remarks. What a shock.

[Grubby]

Good for Israel. They need to overwhelm the Palestinians.

[bsking]

the word you're searching for is eradicate.

[Dan_Tien]

Their announced plan to build new settlements in occupied land immediately after the UN grants Palestinians non-member observer status shows that Israel is not interested in peace in that region. It is deliberate provocation. I have heard it said that the IDF soldiers spend more time defending the indigenous Palestinians from Israeli settlers than the other way around. I suppose they tell themselves that God allows them to do exactly as they please regardless of the consequences. America will always treat them as the victims anyway.

[UnCommonBoston]

The former mayor of London said that when a Palestinian dies in war they are called a terroist, when an Israeli solider dies they are called a hero. If I am not mistaken, the Palestinians are defending what is rightfully theirs by the UN decision. I am not sure why we support this. What am I missing?

[Dan_Tien]

@UnCommonBoston You are missing the Judeo-Christian God factor that claims that even Jews of European descent have a greater right to the land of Palestine than even indigenous people who descended form Jews who converted to Islam.

[UnCommonBoston]

@Dan_Tien I underdstand that they believe this, but does the rest of the world? Personally I think when their ancestors left Isreal, they gave up their claim. God may have given them the land, but they left! Yes, history has not been kind to the Jewish people, but they are not the only people to have suffered.

[Dan_Tien]

@UnCommonBoston Personally, I don't believe the story that any God gave the land now called Israel to the Jews any more than I believe that God gave all the land of the Native Americans to Europeans. It is the sort of lie that murdering conquerors tell themselves so that they can believe that they are still good people and are justified in their actions.

[UnCommonBoston]

@Dan_Tien Sadly it is a good lie that works. Oh the list we could make of lands given to people by God. I think possession is key, if you left you can't claim it. The people who stayed and worked the land etc should have a claim. It is very, very sad. We need to move forward, not back into the past.

[dances-weebles]

personally i don't think that it's any business of ours what happens between palistine and israel.

that being a given, i also don't believe that israel has the right to build settlements within the borders of any other country... and palestine is a separate country.

[Ashstop]

No, Israel is always the one that is suppose back off and let the aggressors do what they want in the name of peace, I hope they don't this time!

[Politic-n]

"Peace" in the middle east???? Cmon is that a joke? hahahaha Quit playing politics with these people. Sit back and let them finally fight it out! America can profit from their wars, and not get directly involved simultaneously. Quit playing recess monitor and let both sides see how much they really want war and that piece of desert.

[Zazziness]

People got on my case for saying I was tired of Israel warmongering but this is yet another example of what I mean.

[DARSB]

I can't think of a better way for Israel to isolate itself and earn criticism from the world. Theocracies seem to have this trait in common, see Iran, the Vatican for further examples.

[ded]

Maybe irresponsible but perhaps some good could come of the fact that the entire world is criticizing Israel publicly (including the abstainers such as Britain and Germany but excluding the USA)

[tomincali]

i think they are wrong alright what we have now does not rep all Americans and in some cases others over all Americans.

[kirbstomp1]

Israel needs to disappear. They cause the unrest in the middle east.

[Rogue]

Yes. Not only should America condemn Israels planned settlements, and condemn Israel's seizure of Palestine funds today, we should disassociate ourselves from Israel and stop our $3 billion per year aid to them.

[jessejaymes]

Now that everyone is all worked up and have thrown their hate for the Jews and hate for Obama into the Mix let me say what I think. I don't care. Either way. Time to stop policing the world. We give enough money to Israel to defend themselves. Step back. It's not our fight.